


Mercy Kill

by Runespoor



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Multi, gen like canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-07
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 22:44:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runespoor/pseuds/Runespoor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>on the road to kill Sasuke, or: the lies Sakura told herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mercy Kill

Sakura puts poison on the kunai because it’s practical. It’s discreet, and as a weapon, it can be thrown. Range is good, against Sasuke. Poisoned kunai are unassuming: if he knocks it out of her hand, he might think her defenseless, and get close enough for her to punch him. 

Punching him is just her back-up strategy here. She’s stronger than he is, but strength means nothing if she can’t land a hit. She’d have to take him out with one punch – bone and flesh crushed, organs torn from the inside, fragments pushing out of the skin maybe, blood splashing. Preferably targeting the vitals. One-armed, he’d retaliate and she’d be too close to dodge. He might be able to flee, even if she shattered his femur – and again, she’d leave herself wide open. 

Meanwhile poisoned kunai are less flashy. He wouldn’t be able to pick up on her readying up her chakra. She’d just need to nick him for the attack to be effective. First it’d slow him down – disrupt his rhythm – weaken him. It won’t kill him at once, but she’ll be able to defeat him. Using instant deadly poison on something that can be used against you is stupid; Sakura was taught better than that.

She volunteers because he’s her teammate and her job. A medic always tries to save her patient, but sometimes saving someone is knowing when to stop fighting against the sickness devouring them, and Sakura was taught triage anyhow. And it’s time she did something about it. 

And maybe – if she doesn’t want to see the gore of him on her hands. That doesn’t mean she’s squeamish. She’s not being sentimental. She’s just taking precautions so that she doesn’t accidentally end like her shishou, unable to heal for years and years because of her love’s blood on her hands. She’s thinking of the village. If she doesn’t want the last time she touches Sasuke to be to kill him, she’s allowed. So long as she does her job.

She’ll do it. Sasuke is so far gone he’s not even himself any more. That’s the rule, the best and the worst: you never abandon your comrades. She’s kind of following the rule. He’d be horrified at what he’s become. How long it’s been since he threw himself in front of Naruto to save him!...

Kakashi probably won’t want to see her anymore. 

She can’t think about Naruto at all right now. She puts him on hold. Like she did with Sasuke for years. 

Naruto shouldered so much of Sasuke’s weight. It’s her turn now. She’s a medic-nin, it’s her job to treat the disease. Contain the infection. Cut out the gangrene, bleed the festering wound. The past has poisoned the present, and Naruto-who-will-be-Hokage-someday thinks too much about the-traitor-Uchiha-Sasuke. Obsession as the poison of the mind. 

The Academy has kunoichi classes about poison, and manipulation – how to slip words in someone's ears like you would drops in their drinks. That part didn't work, when she tried to bring Naruto around. Kyuubi's chakra makes Naruto resilient to poison; why wouldn't Sasuke's obsession do the same? Both the Kyuubi and Sasuke are more dangerous in the long run than poison or lies, and stronger. 

She’ll cut Sasuke down, because she’s a medic. She’ll use a kunai because she can’t use a scalpel. 

(She doesn’t think about how slow-acting poison will knock him out rather than kill him.)


End file.
